


Wonderstruck

by voiceoftreas0n



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Headcanon, Keith is an awkward bean, Pre-Canon, References to Shakespeare, Short One Shot, Spoilers for Season 4, Staring, lmao this was a trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 08:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12477408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voiceoftreas0n/pseuds/voiceoftreas0n
Summary: If Keith had known turning away from the wind and shifting his gaze to the parking lot below him would lead his heart rate to spike dangerously against his ribs and lungs, he would have thought twice.





	Wonderstruck

There was always something about seeing spacecraft in real life that the simulators could never prepare you for.

The graphics on the screens, state of the art as they were, could never capture every detail to a point and make him gasp at the sheer beauty of machinery that stood before him. 

No simulated turbulence could prepare his heart for the inevitable lurch, either, when he actually  _ stood  _ there in front of the ship and realized that  _ holy shit  _ one day he was going to have to pilot one of those things himself. 

“Take it all in, Keith.”

The small squeeze Shiro gave his shoulder provided no balm for the ache in his stomach, but he managed a jerky nod in response.

“Are you nervous?” he asked instead.

There was no missing Shiro’s hesitation before he answered.

“A little.”

_ A lot _ , Keith mentally translated. He had been under Shiro’s tutelage long enough to know when his mentor was lying through his teeth. 

“The launch is tomorrow.” Keith said in lieu of calling him out for it. 

Shiro didn’t need to hear it, especially not from  _ Keith  _ of all people, but the choice of words gave way for a more open interpretation.  

Shiro let out a chuckle. “Then I have a whole night to settle my nerves.” 

The joke, in all its innocent attempts to lighten the mood, was met with a scowl on Keith’s end. Shiro promptly looked away to focus his gaze on the craft. 

At this, Keith breathed out a heavy sigh. 

There was no denying Kerberos was going to be the mission of the century. If the press didn’t do a good enough job of spreading the word, the Galaxy Garrison made sure it was etched in stone for future generations to see.

Both figuratively and literally.  

Keith was proud of Shiro. Really, he was. Of all the pilots they could’ve chosen for this mission they chose him, despite being younger than all the other candidates. 

Proud as he was, though, this didn’t mean Keith was completely alright with the idea of not having Shiro around, even if it was just for a year.   

As if sensing Keith’s distress, a breeze gusted completely out of nowhere, rustling his hair and clothes with a not-so-gentle draft. 

The invasion of cold made Keith turn away from the ship.  

.

.

.

And then the chill from the breeze was instantly replaced with a shot of warmth into his gut. 

.

.

.

If Keith had known turning away from the wind and shifting his gaze to the parking lot below him would lead his heart rate to spike dangerously against his ribs and lungs, he would have thought twice. 

.

.

.

Or maybe not. 

.

.

.

Before he went into the Galaxy Garrison, Keith went to its prerequisite sister school. In order to tackle aerospace travel as soon as they entered the main school, the students’ syllabi consisted of subject material usually tackled in high school to acquire proper credit. 

Said subject material included a full week’s worth of a crash course in the works of William Shakespeare.  

Keith distinctly remembered scoffing and rolling his eyes as his Lit teacher went through ancient passages.

 

**_Hear my soul speak:_ **

**_The very instant that I saw you, did_ **

**_My heart fly to your service._ **

 

Insert long, suffering sigh here.

How much did the body have to react at the sight of someone, anyway? How many words did it take to describe how just  _ looking  _ at someone made you feel?

Never in those classes did Keith think that he’d ever find himself in the same kind of mess Romeo and Ferdinand did.

.

.

.

But now he takes it back.

He takes it  _ all  _ back.

Because right now, Keith found himself unable to remove his eyes from the girl in the purple dress in front of him and regretting ever questioning the amount of words Shakespeare had to use to describe a jolt to the heart when he can barely even manage one.

_ Wonderstruck _ .

That was all he could think up. He didn’t have the extraneous vocabulary Shakespeare did, dammit, but she was pretty and looking up at the sky with such awe that Keith couldn’t justify any other words. 

So instead he forwent thinking up words and just kept staring.  

A second later Keith realized that none of Shakespeare’s metaphors could ever do any justice to describe the sight before him.

He honestly couldn’t take her eyes off of her.

It wasn’t just because she was pretty. Well, she definitely  _ was _ , in an understated kind of way. Brown hair, cream skin, big, hazel eyes behind glasses. 

A head-turner, no doubt. 

But Keith’s blatant staring had less to do with her face and more with the  _ look  _ she had on it.

Wide-eyed wonder. Determination.

Iron resolve, maybe.

He couldn’t quite place it.

All he knew was that it was the kind of look that demanded the world to know of the goings on in a brilliant mind.

Or maybe even the whole  _ universe _ .

His ogling lasted for a few more moments before another epiphany arose. 

One could only go so far staring at someone without said subject noticing.

And as if on cue, she shifted her gaze from the sky to look  _ forward _ instead. 

Right in his general direction. 

.

.

. 

Time stopped cold. 

Or maybe it was the very blood in his veins.

Keith wasn’t so sure.

All he knew was that before he could blink, he tore his gaze away and felt the heat surge up from his gut straight into his face.  

Shiro seemed to have noticed his panic.

“Something the matter, Keith?”

Keith shook his head, pointedly ignoring how the back of his neck burned with the strong urge to turn around.

“It’s nothing.”

Shiro raised a brow, and then Keith noticed the miniscule flit of his mentor’s gaze down to the parking lot before them before turning back to him. 

“ _ Uh-huh _ .”

The heat rose up and practically  _ scalded _ against his cheeks. 

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Shiro clapped his shoulder. “We should head down now.” 

Keith managed a stiff nod, and his mentor took this a sign to leave and lead the way out.  

And as soon as Shiro had his back turned, Keith quickly whipped his neck back to the parking lot. 

Only to find her gone. 

He fought back a disgruntled groan before following after Shiro into the Garrison building. 

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my headcanon it what could've happened during the last flashback of 04.02 if KEITH HAD JUST TURNED AROUND AHSKJDBDWKBSWSW 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr?


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